Results from the Great Backyard Bird Count 2013

The Great Backyard Bird Count lasts 4 days. I've been counting birds for about 5 years, and it's hard to predict what you will see during those counting days.

Goldfinch Fluffed by the Falling Snow

This year most of my counting was limited to window viewing because of the extreme cold and snow. The day before the count, a spectacular pair of Pileated Woodpeckers visited my yard. There was no sign of them, however, during the next 4 days. I love the brown-headed Nuthatches that have come regularly to my feeder. Again there was no sign of them during the count days.

During the count, both the male and female Eastern Towhees made a rare appearance in my backyard. A wild turkey swooped out of the sky and scurried into the  woods at the back of our property. A couple of Mute Swans graced a pond near our church.

Female Eastern Towhee

 Male Eastern Towhee

The summary of birds counted for 2013 is not yet available, but 134,935 checklists were submitted. In 2012, 104,151 checklists were tallied.